Fresh details have emerged of a series of apparent blunders by teams entrusted with securing and registering a political party name for Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, which could have cost him the Ukombozi name.
The Star has established that teams working to secure the name failed to comply with key deadlines and continued pursuing registration even after the name they sought had become unavailable.
The development comes days after Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Party formally adopted the name Ukombozi Alliance, effectively locking out Sifuna’s team, which had been pushing to use Ukombozi for its political outfit.
Lumallas Achieng' & Kavere (LAK) Advocates, which was contracted by Azimio to facilitate the change of its party name, has detailed what it says were the missteps by Sifuna’s team that ultimately led to it missing out on the name.
According to the law firm, Azimio began reserving names incorporating Ukombozi as early as March 2025, eventually making several applications before settling on Ukombozi Alliance.
The firm said it first reserved Chama Cha Ukombozi on March 18, 2025, followed by Ukombozi Freedom Party on March 24, 2025, and Ukombozi Freedom Front on April 6, 2025.
It subsequently reserved Ukombozi Freedom Front and Ukombozi Alliance on July 31, 2025; Ukombozi Kenya Coalition on January 26, 2026; The Ukombozi Alliance and Komboa Kenya Coalition on May 22, 2026; and Ukombozi Kenya Coalition again on June 8, 2026.
On July 20, 2026, the firm said Azimio reserved The Ukombozi Alliance, followed by Komboa Kenya Alliance on August 24.
“Accordingly, this is a journey that commenced in March 2025, culminating in settling on a name in July 2026, which name was adopted by the Azimio Party for change on August 3, 2026, and submitted for processing,” the law firm said.
However, in August, the United Democratic Party (UDP), linked to Sifuna’s camp, sought to rebrand the party as Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP).
The party published a notice inviting memoranda following a resolution by its National Executive Committee to change its name to UPP.
Azimio objected to the proposed name on August 10, arguing that its similarity to Ukombozi Alliance could cause confusion among the public.
The Registrar of Political Parties subsequently agreed with Azimio on September 8 and rejected UDP’s proposed name under Section 8(c) of the Political Parties Act, 2011.
Despite the rejection, Sifuna’s team, led by Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, continued promoting UPP as the senator’s political vehicle.
“On or about September 15, 2026, Hon. Babu Owino, among other bloggers and officials affiliated with Western Kenya, and Hon. Natembeya announced that Senator Sifuna will vie on the Ukombozi People’s Party,” the law firm said.
“This information spread fast, raising Senator Sifuna’s followers’ expectations with respect to UPP. This name was not available to them.”
On September 21, Azimio formally and publicly adopted the name Ukombozi Alliance, which it had reserved on July 20.
The move triggered a heated public and online debate over who had the legitimate claim to the Ukombozi name.
Natembeya, through Allan Akivanga, presented letters in support of their claim.
The first, dated March 13, 2025, was from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), indicating the registrar’s acceptance of the reserved name Ukombozi People’s Party.
However, the letter indicated that Akivanga had 90 days from the date of reservation to proceed with the party’s registration.
They argued that the registrar had acted unfairly by denying them the UPP name, which UDP was seeking to adopt through a change of name.
However, the 90-day window elapsed without Akivanga registering the party or seeking an extension.
The second letter, dated August 6, 2026, confirmed that the founding members of UPP had resolved to discontinue the party’s registration process.
However, LAK advocates disputed that argument, saying a name reservation does not last indefinitely.
“Name reservations are strictly for a period of not more than 90 days. This position was clearly communicated to Allan Akivanga on March 13, 2025. A diligent applicant must accordingly keep reapplying and extending the reserved name to lay claim to it,” the firm said.
According to the lawyers, Akivanga took no steps to extend the reservation, meaning it expired on June 13, 2025.
The firm added that the failure to submit affidavits from the founding members demonstrating that they had agreed to discontinue registration could not revive a name whose 90-day reservation had already expired.
The law firm also rejected allegations that its actions were aimed at frustrating Sifuna’s political ambitions or targeting opposition figures.
“It is a fact that LAK was not aware and could not possibly be aware of efforts by UDP in August 2026 to secure the name UPP. We only became aware because of the newspaper advertisement,” it said.
The firm said it was also unaware of Akivanga’s earlier efforts to register a party using the UPP name and could not reasonably have known that UDP could later have been acquired by Natembeya.
“The applications on behalf of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya were made in absolute good faith,” the firm said.
It maintained that the Ukombozi Alliance leadership was not opposed to the name being used by coalition partners, arguing that their political objectives were ultimately similar.
The dispute has exposed growing tensions within opposition circles as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Opposition leaders cannot be seen to invest in fighting over party names at this crucial planning hour. Any sustained negative vitriol must reveal the enemy of the opposition’s unity of purpose,” the firm said.
